Running
by Lingren
Summary: Jack is running for his life!


_Hi everyone, as per your requests, I'm posting some of my older stories on this site. He's a little one I wrote quite a while ago. Hope you enjoy it._

**RUNNING.**

By Lingren.

Category: Angst, Humour.

Season: Any time between 2 & 3.

Summary: Jack's running.

Disclaimer: I don't own Stargate SG-1. No copyright infringements intended. Just borrowing the characters for a bit of fantasy and imagination.

Running.

by Lingren.

Jack O'Neill was running.

Running for dear life.

There were only three of them behind him, but that didn't matter.

He knew they were there.

And that was the problem...

...they were after him.

There was the long, the short and the small. He grinned, surprised by his ability to find something vaguely amusing during this moment of desperate panic.

Him and his big mouth. When would he ever learn?

He kept right on running, feeling the pain with each breath he took.

They were still coming.

He could hear them crashing through the trees behind him.

His breath came harder.

His chest burned with every gasp, as his legs pumped tiredly.

He was weakening.

He looked back over his shoulder and cursed softly because they were still there; like hungry wolves after their prey.

And if anything, they were gaining on him.

He gave it all he had then, sprinting faster, delving deeper into a reserve of energy he didn't know he had.

He could do this. No problem.

He just could not allow himself to get caught.

The trees flashed by in a blur, the surrounding countryside disappeared from his vision as he concentrated on a single path. Focusing only on putting one foot in front of the other and staying one step ahead of them.

He leaped over a fallen tree and winced as it jarred his aching knee, but he continued to run, trying hard to ignore the painful twinges each step created.

Panting now.

Gasping desperately.

It was hot and his throat was so dry.

Too hot!

The sun continued to beat it's insufferable heat down on him from a cloudless blue sky, making him sweat profusely under his jacket.

The beads of moisture ran down his face and dripped from his silver hair to soak his collar.

His mouth was growing sore from lack of moisture, and he desperately craved some cool sweet water, but he couldn't afford to stop.

A sudden excited shriek from right behind made him stumble and he lost his balance, tumbling gracelessly onto the hard ground with a painful groan, then someone landed on top of him, holding him there, face down.

He heard the others approach quickly and they managed to roll him over to face his nemesis head on. He reached out empty hands; his only means of defending himself.

He met three, hot, flushed and irate faces and winced under their intense glares, wondering what they would do to him now.

"_Aliens are always poking holes in me!" _

He recalled saying that, and closed his eyes in resignation.

Then they started on him in earnest.

Poking and prodding him all over.

Hard.

Continuously.

Until he was crying out in agony, and bringing his knees up to protect his abdomen and ribs.

They were digging into him fiercely, driving into his exhausted body as he tried to drag in a ragged breath.

"Do you yield Colonel O'Neill?" the shorter feisty one asked, expecting no quarter from him.

"Never!" he cried, but they prodded harder still, digging into his tender sides, until he was helpless.

Then Jack O'Neill, special ops expert, did something that he'd never ever done before.

He simply gave in.

"Okay! Enough!" he yelled, wiping the tears from his eyes as they ran down his temples and into his hair.

The assault stopped.

He relaxed, falling limp; finally beaten.

"Well?" demanded the tallest.

"I'm sorry!" he puffed, breathlessly.

The small one continued to poke him in the ribs. "Alright! You win!" he yelled dragging dainty hands away from his torso to hold them off.

"Say it!" the older two demanded.

He looked up into their infuriated faces, and shrugged begrudgingly.

"So okay, you're as fast as any of the guys I know!" he gasped, still exhausted from running, and laughing.

God! He hadn't been tickled so much in years.

"So, you can run as fast as I can. Big deal! But that's only because I tripped," he grunted with a pout.

"Colonel!"

"Okay! Hell, ya caught me. Isn't that good enough for ya?" he sighed.

"At your age and with your knees Jack? I'd say that was hardly a fair contest. They were bound to catch you," Daniel grinned as he sauntered up to join the group around his downed friend. Then he laughed. "God Jack, even Janet caught you!"

Jack shot him an indignant scowl.

So did Janet.

As did Sam and Cassie.

The ladies winked at each other and nodded knowingly as they stood up.

"What?" Daniel asked innocently, backing away as the three females turned towards him.

Wicked gleams glinting in their eyes.

"Oh hell!" Daniel exclaimed, turning to run.

Then Jack doubled over in laughter again as they took off after his friend.

The End.


End file.
